Royal baccarat

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a modified baccarat game wherein one face up and one face down card are dealt for a dealer&#39;s hand, one or more player&#39;s hands, and a community hand. Players place bets on the dealer&#39;s hand, his player&#39;s hand, or on standoff (tie). After betting, the face down cards are revealed. Each hand is valued by adding the two community card values to its total. The hand with a value closest to nine in the ones column wins. Bets are paid out (even money for a winning bet on the banker&#39;s or player&#39;s hand and six to one on standoff) and no commission is levied by the house. Each player may make an optional side bet based on a variety of occurrences (e.g., designated cards having a value of at least eight, either player or banker&#39;s hand having a value of at least eight, or forming winning poker combinations).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for playing a casino game. More particularly, the present invention relates to a modified baccarat game that may be played as a casino table game or as a video or Internet game.

BACKGROUND

Baccarat is a popular gambling game offered in many casinos around the world. Baccarat is generally played as a high-stakes, exclusive game, where table betting limits are usually set quite high relative to other table games (such as roulette or blackjack). It is popularized through television shows and movies such as the James Bond series, where Bond is often shown betting large wagers at a table with very rich, powerful, well-dressed, and attractive people. In reality, baccarat games do tend to have high betting limits (and high minimum bet requirements), and often are more exclusive games played by more well-heeled bettors.

Baccarat, also known as Punto Banco, is usually played in a separate casino area. The playing table is about the size of a craps table with three casino dealers (or croupiers) and up to 12 or 14 players. The table is customarily marked with 14 betting positions, numbered one through 15 without the unlucky number 13. Players are arranged around the two ends of the table, and the dealer resides in the middle.

In traditional baccarat, there are only two principal bets to make: banker or player (also known as “banco” or “punto”), plus the rarely used “standoff,” which is a bet on a tie between the banker's and player's hand. Some casinos let the players deal the cards in turn and others have a casino dealer to deal the cards. In online baccarat the cards are dealt automatically by a virtual dealer.

Each player, including the player dealing (if any), may bet on either banker or player, but it is customary for the dealer to bet on banker. Players may opt not to deal, passing the dealing “shoe” to the next player. The shoe often contains six or eight shuffled decks of standard 52-card decks of playing cards. The shoe remains with one player as long as the bank wins. If the player's hand wins, the shoe passes on to the next player.

Two hands are dealt, and each player may wager on which one will win, or that they will tie (the “standoff” bet). The payoff winning a bet on either the player's hand or the banker's hand is even money, 1:1. The standoff bet usually pays 8:1 or 9:1. However, the casino (or “house”) will customarily take a 4% or 5% commission on winning bets placed on the banker's hand. The reason for taxing the banker's hand is that the rules of baccarat dictate that the banker's hand will win slightly more often than the player's hand.

Each hand is comprised of a minimum of two and a maximum of three cards. The person dealing will deal two cards in a designated area for the banker's hand, and will either place the other two cards in a designated area on the table for the player's hand, or will deal the cards to the player with the largest bet on the player's hand. Only two hands are dealt.

The cards in a baccarat hand are valued as follows: all face cards and tens have no value. Cards less than ten are valued at their face value, with aces valued as one. Suits are irrelevant. The two or three cards in a hand are added up, and any two digit values drop the digit in the tens column (resulting in a value between zero and nine). In other words, a seven and an eight add up to 15, but the baccarat card value is five. The goal is to get the highest possible hand value (which is nine).

The rules of baccarat do not allow for any variation, skill, or decision-making by any of the players or the dealer. The hands are dealt and valued according to strict rules. If either hand has a total value of eight or nine (nine is the highest possible), then it is called a “natural” and no more cards are dealt; the hand values are compared right away and the higher value is the winner. If neither hand is a natural, then depending on the value of each hand the casino dealer may instruct the card dealer to deal a third card to either or both hands. The decision when to deal a third card follows a precise set of rules used by all casinos. Once dealing is completed, the hand with the highest value (as determined above) wins.

Both the player's and banker's hands begin with two cards. A third card may be dealt to either or both the player and the bank based on the following three-card rules. It is not necessary to learn these rules to play, they are compulsory decisions and automatically performed by the casino dealer.

-   Player's third-card rule:     -   If either the player or the bank have a total of eight or nine         on the first two cards, then no further cards are drawn. The         resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is over. (When a         hand is over, it is valued according to the rules above and the         highest value—closest to nine—wins.)     -   If the player's total is less than or equal to five, then the         player's hand draws a third and final card.     -   If the player does not draw a third card, then the bank's hand         stands on six or more and takes a third card on a total of five         or less. If the player does take a third card, then the Bank's         third-card rule below will determine if the bank takes a third         card. -   Bank's third-card rule:     -   If the bank's total is two or less, then bank draws a third         card, regardless of what the player's third card is.     -   If the bank's total is three, then the bank draws a third card         unless the player's third card was an eight.     -   If the bank's total is four, then the bank draws a third card         unless the player's third card was a zero (ten or face card),         ace, eight, or nine.     -   If the bank's total is five, then the bank draws a third card if         the player's third card was four, five, six, or seven.     -   If the bank's total is six, then the bank draws a third card if         the player's third card was a six or seven.     -   If the bank's total is seven, then the bank stands. (Note that         if the bank's total had been eight or nine, the hand would have         been declared a natural and neither the player nor banker would         receive a third card.)

After all cards are dealt and the winning hand is determined (based on the highest hand value), losing bets are collected, and bets are paid out to each player who bet correctly on the winning hand (or, in the case of a tie, on the standoff bet).

Traditional baccarat suffers from a variety of shortcomings. First, players must pay the house a commission (often 5%) on winning bets placed on the banker's hand. Many players dislike the idea of paying such a commission to the house. Second, standard baccarat only uses two hands of two or three cards each; therefore, there is not much variety. Also, only one player hand is dealt, which all players must share; players do not receive their own individual cards. Perhaps most importantly, players in traditional baccarat have no control over the outcome of the game. Cards are dealt, and the decision to take a third card is completely automatic, according to a strict set of rules (additionally, this set of rules is very complex and confusing to novice players). Once making the initial (and blind) decision to randomly bet on either banker, player, or standoff, players sit back and can not decide to stand or hit (as in blackjack), or to “double down” or change their bet once any of the cards are revealed.

These drawbacks reveal the need in the art for a modified baccarat game with new and exciting variations that provide players with more excitement and allow for more player control. Variations such as those conceived by the inventors as will be described in the following discussion are therefore likely to increase the popularity of baccarat even further. Baccarat games utilizing such variations and advantages are likely to be more popular than standard baccarat games, attract new players who are more easily able to understand a version with less complexity in the rules, attract more and higher wagers from bettors, be more enjoyed by players, and be more profitable for the casinos that offer them. Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the ensuing description of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method of playing a modified baccarat game that generates additional excitement, player control, and more revenue for both players and casinos than conventional baccarat. To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, the present invention is directed to a gaming method that comprises: dealing a plurality of cards to each player and to the dealer wherein the plurality of cards is comprised of one face up card and one or more face down cards; dealing one or more community cards wherein one of the community cards is dealt face up; requiring each player to bet that either their player hand will beat the dealer's hand (“player bet”), the dealer's hand will beat their player hand (“banker bet” or “dealer bet”), or their player hand and the dealer's hand will tie (“tie bet” or “standoff bet”); revealing any face down cards dealt; forming a baccarat hand comprising the plurality of cards dealt and the one or more community cards; comparing each player's hand to the dealer's hand using a baccarat point system to value cards, and resolving bets.

The present invention involves the addition of one or more “community cards” to the standard game of baccarat. For instance, in one embodiment of the present invention, two cards from a standard 52-card deck of cards (or a “shoe” of multiple decks) are dealt, one face up and one face down, to form the dealer's hand. Similarly, one face up and one face down card are dealt to form each player's hand, and another face up and face down card become the community cards.

Unlike in standard baccarat, where betting occurs before any cards are revealed, players are allowed to look at face up cards before deciding what to bet on. Players may then choose whether to place a bet on the dealer's hand (the term “dealer's hand” and “banker's hand” may be used interchangeably for purposes of this discussion), their own player's hand, or on “standoff” (which is a bet that the dealer's hand and the player's hand will result in a tie). This addition adds the element of strategy to the game, and makes it more interesting for players.

Once all bets are made, the face down cards are revealed. The dealer's hand is valued by adding the two cards in that hand to the two community cards. Aces are valued as one, tens and face cards as zero, and two through nine keep their designated value. These four values are added together and the tens digit is dropped, creating a value between zero and nine (as is the case in standard baccarat). Each player's hand is valued in the same way, except of course that each player's two cards are added to the two community cards to determine a value. Unlike in traditional baccarat, each player has his own hand to play against the banker. Also, there are no confusing and arbitrary rules for whether or not a third card is dealt to each hand.

Once each hand value is determined, the bets are computed. Winning bets are paid out as even money, and the house takes no commission on the bet unlike in traditional baccarat. Winning bets on standoff are paid as six to one. A push occurs when a player's hand and banker's hand tie on a value of eight or nine. Where a tie occurs on a value between zero and seven, a bet on either hand loses.

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of playing a modified baccarat game comprising the following steps: (a) requiring each player to make an ante or “blind” bet before receiving any cards, (b) dealing one face up card and one face down card for the dealer's hand, (c) dealing one face up card and one face down card for each player's hand, (d) dealing a first community card face up card and a second community card face down, (e) after viewing the face up cards, requiring each player to designate their blind bet as a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet, (f revealing the face down cards, (g) adding up the values of each hand by adding its two cards to the first and second community cards, (h) dropping the tens digit and valuing the hands using baccarat scoring as described above, where the value closest to nine wins, and (i) resolving all bets.

The above description sets forth a summary of embodiments of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present invention may not include all of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary. There may be, of course, other features of the invention that will be described below and may form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in further detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, various features of embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram showing generally the steps of a gaming method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart showing substantially a sequence of steps of a gaming method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a top plan view of a gaming layout in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a player position of the gaming layout shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the community card positions of the gaming layout shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The order in which the steps are presented below is not limited to any particular order and does not necessarily imply that they have to be performed in the order presented. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the order of these steps can be rearranged and performed in any suitable manner. It further will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that some steps may be omitted or added and still fall within the spirit of the invention.

Gaming Method

The present invention comprises a gaming method and an apparatus that may be used to implement the gaming method. In general, the gaming method is designed to reward players (by allowing them to win and get paid for various bets) if they correctly select the outcome of a certain combination of cards revealed.

The cards used are those from a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, comprised of four Aces, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines, tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings; one of each value is also denominated with suits of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts. In other words, there are four sets (of thirteen cards each) of each numerical or letter value. Either a single deck or a “shoe” of multiple decks may be used.

The playing card deck may be replaced by computer-generated representations in various embodiments. Similar to computer poker games, the values may be selected randomly by computer and displayed as a virtual representation on a computer or television screen, transmitted across the Internet, or replicated as a series of lights or colors. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be easily able to adapt the present invention to various electronic and Internet-enabled forms.

In one embodiment, before play, players may bet by placing bets on a wagering area on a gaming table. In one embodiment of the game, the wagering area includes an ante area that serves as a placeholder before the cards are dealt and before the player selects where to place his bet.

Once all antes are placed, a dealer (usually the house in a casino, or in alternate embodiments, a computer-generated dealer) deals out two cards to a dealer's hand, two cards (as their individual “player's hand”) to each player who has placed an ante, and two cards into a central community card area. For each set of two cards, one is dealt face up and one is dealt face down.

After the deal, players may move their antes from the wagering area to one of the proper bets on the gaming layout. The betting area includes a plurality of betting positions representing various bets that the player can make. These bets include a bet on the dealer's hand (which pays even money, with no commission subtracted), on their individual player's hand (which also pays even money), or on the standoff bet (which pays six to one in the event of a tie).

After all players move their bets to their preferred locations (along with any side bets, if any), the face up card in (a) the dealer's hand, (b) the community card hand, and (c) each player's hand is revealed. For the dealer's hand, the dealer's two cards and the two community card values are added together, using traditional baccarat scoring. For each player's hand, the player's two cards and the two community card values are added together, also using traditional baccarat scoring.

In traditional baccarat scoring, Aces are counted as one point, tens and face cards as zero, and two through nine are valued at their face value. All cards in each hand (in this variation, the two cards in each hand plus the two community cards) are added together. The resulting number drops its tens digit to arrive at a value between zero and nine. In other words, the resulting number (a one or two-digit number) will consider only the ones digit such that the total is a value between zero and nine. The highest value (i.e., closest to nine) wins; there may also be ties.

Once each hand value is determined, each individual player's hand is compared against the dealer's. If the player bet on the player's hand, he wins (and is paid even money) if his hand beats the dealer, he loses his entire wager if the dealer's hand beats his, and (in one embodiment) loses if the hands tie at a value of zero through seven and pushes (gets his original bet back) if the hands tie at a value of eight or nine. If the player bet on the dealer's hand, he wins (and is paid even money) if the dealer's hand beats his player's hand, he loses his entire wager if his player's hand beats the dealer's hand, and (in one embodiment) loses if the hands tie at a value of zero through seven and pushes (gets his original bet back) if the hands tie at a value of eight or nine. If the player bet on the “standoff” bet, then the player is paid six to one if the dealer's hand and his player's hand tie (at any value), but the player loses his entire wager if the dealer's hand and the player's hand have different values.

As depicted in the block diagram of FIG. 1, the gaming method of the present invention generally comprises: a dealer dealing from a deck or decks of randomly-shuffled cards and dealing a plurality of cards to each player and to the dealer wherein one card of the plurality of cards is dealt face up (block 500); dealing one ore more community cards wherein one of the community cards is dealt face up (block 600); requiring each player to bet that either: their player hand will beat the dealer's hand, the dealer's hand will beat their player hand, or their player's hand and dealer's hand will tie (block 700); revealing any face down cards that were dealt (block 800); forming a baccarat hand comprising the plurality of cards dealt and the community cards (block 900); comparing each player's hand to the dealer's hand using a baccarat point system to value cards (block 100), and resolving bets (block 1100).

In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of cards is comprised of one face up card and one face down card dealt to each player and to the dealer, and the one or more community cards is comprised of a face up community card and a face down community card. However, in alternate embodiments of the invention, more or fewer cards may be dealt to each hand or to the community hand, more or fewer cards may be dealt face up or face down, and/or the addition of various side bets may be employed.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming method of the invention comprises: each player placing a “blind” bet or “ante” before any cards are dealt (step 10); the dealer dealing a player face up card and a player face down card to each player (step 20); the dealer dealing a first community card face up and a second community card face down (step 30); the dealer dealing a banker face up card and a banker face down card for his own banker (dealer) hand (step 40); each player then making a decision whether to designate their blind bet as a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet (step 50) where they may move their blind bet to the “player” betting position to make a player bet, thus betting that their player hand will beat the banker's hand (step 52), they may move their blind bet to the “tie” betting position to make a tie bet, thus betting that their player hand will tie the banker's hand (step 54), or they may move their blind bet to the “banker” betting position to make a banker bet, thus betting that the banker's hand will beat their player's hand (step 56); the dealer then reveals each face down card: the second community card, the banker's face down card, and each player's face down card (step 70); baccarat hands are then formed and valued—each player's hand is comprised of: his player face up card, his player face down card, the first community card, and the second community card, while the banker's hand is comprised of: the banker's face up card, the banker's face down card, the first community card, and second community card (step 80); the value of each player's hand and the banker's hand (using the standard baccarat scoring system described above) are compared to each other (step 90); and all bets are resolved, as described above (step 100).

Set of Cards

The gaming method of the invention involves a dealer shuffling a set of predetermined cards and dealing cards to himself and each player (step 20). The dealer then deals cards into a community card area (step 30; see positions 92 and 94 in FIG. 5). In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 2, the predetermined set of cards is comprised of a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, which includes four Aces, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines, tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings. One of each value is also denominated with suits of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts.

Although the embodiment depicted utilizes all 52 cards of a standard deck of playing cards, additional playing cards may be added or removed from the set of cards, and specialized cards with custom indicia may be used instead of or in combination with standard playing cards so long as the valuation rules used in determining winning hands correlates with the set of cards chosen for any given embodiment. Also, in alternate embodiments, a single deck or up to eight or more decks of predetermined cards may be used; additionally, in electronic embodiments, virtual “cards” may be used and card values may be selected randomly by computer.

Types of Bets

In step 10 (FIG. 2), the players are asked to place their bets on an ante area of a gaming table (see FIG. 3 for top plan view of a wagering area) before any cards are revealed. This ante may be placed in position 72 on FIG. 4. Once the cards are dealt (but before the face down cards are revealed), the players are then able to move their antes to one of multiple betting options in step 50; these betting options include the player bet (position 74 of FIG. 4), the dealer or “banker” bet (position 76 of FIG. 4), and the tie or “standoff” bet (position 78 of FIG. 4).

A. The Player Bet

One option, shown in step 52 of FIG. 2 and placed in position 74 of FIG. 4, is for the player to bet that the baccarat value of his hand will beat the baccarat value of the dealer's hand. This is known as the “player bet.” If the baccarat value (a number between one and nine) of the player's hand is greater than the baccarat value of the dealer's hand, then a player bet wins even money, and is paid one to one with no commission deducted. A player bet is lost if the dealer's hand value is greater than the player's hand value, or if both values tie at a value of zero through seven, inclusive. If the player's hand value and dealer's hand value both tie at eight or nine, then the player bet is a “push,” and the original ante is returned to the player.

B. The Dealer Bet or “Banker” Bet

A second option, shown in step 56 of FIG. 2 and placed in position 76 of FIG. 4, is for the player to bet that the baccarat value of the dealer's hand will beat the baccarat value of his own player's hand. This is known as the “dealer bet” (or “banker bet”). If the baccarat value (a number between one and nine) of the dealer's hand is greater than the baccarat value of the player's hand, then a dealer bet wins even money, and is paid one to one with no commission deducted. A dealer bet is lost if the player's hand value is greater than the dealer's hand value, or if both values tie at a value of zero through seven, inclusive. If the player's hand value and dealer's hand value both tie at eight or nine, then the dealer bet is a “push,” and the original ante is returned to the player.

C. The Tie Bet or “Standoff” Bet

A third option, shown in step 54 of FIG. 2 and placed in position 78 of FIG. 4, is for the player to bet that the baccarat value of his hand will tie the baccarat value of the dealer's hand. This is known as the “tie bet” or “standoff bet.” If the baccarat value (a number between one and nine) of the player's hand is exactly equal to the baccarat value of the dealer's hand, then a player wins six times the amount of his bet. Any other combination of player hand values and dealer hand values (i.e., where the two values are not equal) results in a loss of the original wager.

D. Side Bets & Progressive Jackpot Bets

In some embodiments of the present invention, the bets may further comprise of optional side wagers and/or progressive jackpot wagers, known as “side bets.” Such side bets may be based on any occurrence, for example, on the value of the player's or dealer's hand (equal to or greater than eight, for example), on an additional card that is dealt, or on a combination of five cards (for example, the player's two cards, the two community cards, and a special fifth card that is dealt) based on the rankings of five-card poker hands (pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flushes, four of a kind, full house, straight flush, and royal flush).

The side bet may be based on any one or any combination of cards. For example, in one embodiment, the side bet is based on any one or any combination of the face up cards (e.g., player face up card, dealer face up card, and/or community face up card). The side bet is based on the player face up card, the dealer face up card, and/or community face up card having a value of eight. In such embodiments, the player wins his side bet and is paid if all three face up cards are eights, two of the face up cards are eights, or one of the face up cards is an eight. In alternate embodiments, the side bet may be based on any one or combination of the face up cards having a value of nine. In such embodiments, the player wins his side bet and is paid if all three face up cards are nines, two of the face up cards are nines, or one of the face up cards is a nine. The side bet is resolved according to payout schedules roughly corresponding to the odds of each event happening. In further embodiments, a side bet may be based on any one or any combination of the face down cards (e.g., player face down card, dealer face down card, and/or community face down card). Yet, in additional embodiments, the side bet may be based on any one or combination of any designated cards having certain value(s) (e.g., at least eight, eight, nine, zero).

In another embodiment, the side bet may be based on the player's hand, dealer's hand, and/or community cards obtaining a certain value. For instance, in one embodiment, a player wins his side bet if the total value of his hand is an eight or nine (i.e., the ones digit of the total value of his hand is a nine), while in another embodiment, the player wins his side bet if the total value of the dealer/banker's hand is an eight or nine. In alternate embodiments, a player wins his side bet if the total value of the community cards is an eight or nine, or the player wins his side bet if his player hand, the dealer's hand, and the community card hand each have a value of eight or nine.

In a further embodiment, a third community card may be dealt for the side bet. In such embodiments, if the player's 5-card poker hand (i.e., player face up card, player face down card, first community card, second community card, and third community card) beats the dealer/banker's 5-card poker hand (i.e., banker face up card, banker face down card, first community card, second community card, and third community card), then the player wins the side bet. In an alternate embodiment, the player doesn't play against the banker's hand to win on his side bet. In such embodiments, a player may win his side bet according to a predetermined payout schedule if the player obtains any specific winning five-card poker combination (e.g., pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flushes, four of a kind, full house, straight flush, and/or royal flush). Yet, in alternate embodiments, the poker hand may be based on a 3-card poker hand comprised of any three cards used in the game (e.g., player face up card, player face down card, and a predetermined/pre-designated community card; all three face up cards; or all three face down cards). Players are paid out according to the rarity of the poker hand created.

In alternate embodiments of the invention, either concurrently with or without an optional side bet or as an optional side bet in itself, a progressive jackpot side bet may be offered to players and may be based on any occurrence. A progressive jackpot is one that grows based on the bets played until a player or player wins the jackpot, at which point the jackpot is reduced back to some starting level and begins growing again as additional bets are played.

In one embodiment of the invention, a third community card is dealt, and the progressive jackpot bet will be fixed at any amount such as one dollar. The player will win the progressive jackpot if he obtains a specially designated five-card poker hand. A determined percentage of each bet will go into the progressive jackpot (and be reflected on the progressive jackpot meter) to increase it. If the poker hand created is a specially designated hand (e.g., royal flush ) then the player wins the jackpot (in the case of two or more players winning, the jackpot may be split) and is paid out the current amount of the progressive jackpot (the progressive jackpot is then re-set at a predetermined level, for example $10,000, and begins to grow again). In alternate embodiments, no third community card is dealt, and the progressive jackpot may based on the player obtaining a specific 3-card poker hand (e.g., player wins his progressive jackpot bet if his player face up card, his player face down card, and a predetermined/pre-designated community card is three of a kind).

Gaming Layout

Referring now to FIG. 3, a wagering area of a gaming layout 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The overall gaming layout may be made with the common shapes of conventional casino gaming tables such as a semi-circular, oval, or rectangular shape, or may be in the traditional shape of a baccarat table, where two semi-circular player areas are connected to a central rectangular dealing area. A gaming layout may also be made with materials of conventional gaming tables, such as felt, vinyl, wood, plastic, laminate, and/or marble. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the gaming layout may be a video or computer representation of a conventional gaming table.

Turning to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the gaming layout includes a community card area 91 that includes card position 92 and card position 94 which are distinct from each other, are separated by lines, design, and/or spacing between the card positions, and are individually adapted to identify each community card distributed during the course of the game. As depicted in FIG. 5, community card area 91 includes card positions 92 and 94, which are where the face up community card and face down community card are to be placed thereon, respectively.

As seen in FIG. 3, gaming layout 60 will be surrounded by a plurality of player positions 62A-62G. Any suitable number of player positions may be included in a gaming layout of the present invention, including the customary 14. The number of player positions may vary depending on the size and shape of the gaming table and the number of players a casino wishes to accommodate in one given game. Also, it is not necessary that all player positions be utilized while the game is being played. At least one player position is needed to be utilized for the game to be played.

Dealer position 64 is located opposite player positions 62A-G. From the dealer position 64, the dealer will have access to an area where the dealer may store gaming chips 66, may deal from a deck of cards or a card dispensing apparatus such as a dealing shoe 61, and place used cards after each round of play in a discard holder 63. The dealer may place the cards dealt to himself in any designated area of the gaming layout according to the casino's preference. For example, the dealer may deal the banker face up card and place it on card position 67 and deal the banker face down card and place it on card position 68. Card positions 67 and 68 together will constitute part of the dealer's/banker's hand.

As seen in FIG. 4, the player's wagering area includes a plurality of betting positions representing various bets that the player can make. There will also be one or more areas for the player's cards (see card positions 32 and 34). The player position depicted in FIG. 4 includes card position 32 and card position 34. When the cards are being dealt to each player, a face up card is dealt and placed on card position 32, and a face down card is dealt and placed on card position 34. Of course, any combination of colors, patterns, designs, words, numbers, logos and/or other symbols may be used to designate card positions 32 and 34.

Still referring to FIG. 4, when designating whether to make a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet, the player moves his ante/blind bet to the designated betting position. For instance, a player's wagering area may be comprised of betting positions 72, 74, 76, and 78. Betting position 72 shows the place where players may place an ante or blind bet before play begins. Betting position 74 depicts a possible location where players may move their blind bet after the cards are dealt in order to make a player bet (i.e., player bets that their player hand will beat the dealer's hand). Betting position 76 depicts a possible location where players may move their blind bet to make a banker bet or dealer bet (i.e., player bets that the dealer's hand will beat their player hand). And betting position 78 depicts a possible location where players may move their blind bet to make a tie bet or standoff bet (i.e., player bets that their player hand will tie with the dealer's hand). The player's wagering area may be comprised of any combination of colors, logos, indicia, boxes, circles, or any other shape representing various types of bets.

The player position wagering area of the gaming layout depicted in FIG. 4 includes the following betting positions summarized in TABLE 1:

TABLE 1 Betting Position Bet Type (FIG. 4) Ante area (not an actual bet) 72 Player Bet 74 Dealer Bet (or Banker Bet) 76 Tie Bet (or Standoff Bet) 78 Possible Side Bets not depicted

In alternate embodiments of the invention, a different table layout may be used that still allows for various traditional baccarat bets and side bets (for example, various circles may be larger, smaller, or placed in different positions relative to each other, betting positions may include different shapes such as boxes or ovals, etc.). Also, in electronic embodiments, the gaming layout may be projected on a screen or monitor. Of course, the number, locations, and designs of the player's betting positions and/or the community card positions and/or dealer card positions may be adjusted as desired so long as they remain within reasonable access and visibility for the players and the dealer. As such, the arrangement of the betting areas used in the gaming layout may be arranged in various ways (for example, there may be one central betting area with each player using different color betting chips for differentiation, or each player may have his own betting area near his player position). Also, any combination of labels, symbols, characters, colors, and/or logos may be included within the betting positions and/or community card positions so long as the meaning of the designation is clear to the players and dealer. Other features may be included within the gaming layout such as payout schedules/tables, rules of play, logos, trademarks, casino name, and/or design or artistic elements. Thus, the gaming layout is not limited to the arrangement depicted in the figures herein and could vary without departing from the scope of the invention.

Mathematical Analysis

The following mathematical analysis of the above-described embodiment was conducted by Gambology of Las Vegas, Nev. A computer program was developed to compute the probability distribution and the house advantage.

House Advantages

8 Decks Bet % Frequency % Expected Return Player 42.7062 −0.9958 Banker 42.7062 −0.9958 Tie 14.5876 0.2318 Total 100.0000 −1.7598

When betting Player or Banker, the player would win 40.90%, lose 36.42%, tie at 8 or 91.61% and lose 6.48% due to ties at 0 through 7.

6 Decks Bet % Frequency % Expected Return Player 42.7406 −1.0076 Banker 42.7406 −1.0076 Tie 14.5189 0.1350 Total 100.0000 −1.8801

When betting Player or Banker, the player would win 40.93%, lose 36.46%, tie at 8 or 91.61% and lose 6.48% due to ties at 0 through 7.

The following summarizes the house advantages:

# Decks House Advantage 8 1.76% 6 1.88%

CONCLUSION AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

It can be realized from the embodiments described herein that the present invention provides a modified baccarat game that adds new excitement and more player control than traditional baccarat games. The above-described embodiments of the present invention have many advantages.

For instance, the present invention advantageously retains some of the features and advantages of baccarat but also provides the player with greater player control for enhanced player anticipation and enjoyment. A player will feel like he has more control because the present invention provides him with the ability to make his wager after being able to see one or more cards dealt face up. Unlike in traditional baccarat, where players have no control whatsoever other than the original blind bet on player, dealer, or standoff, in the present invention players may use strategy once they have seen several face up cards, often one each from the dealer's hand, their own hand, and the community card hand. The invention therefore benefits the player who desires a novel variation of baccarat as well as the player who does not want to have to learn new rules for valuing cards and scoring baccarat hands, but desires some variety or desires an element of player choice. Additionally, the invention offers the further advantage that it is easier to learn and keep track of than traditional baccarat, because the present invention does away with the very complicated third-card rules used in traditional baccarat. Additionally, the invention provides casinos with the potential of generating more revenue, as it is advantageous to offer baccarat players some variation in the game to maintain their long-term interest.

Further, the embodiments that incorporate side bets may provide the player with games that are more rewarding (for both players and casinos). In conventional baccarat, a player may earn up to eight times his original bet by correctly betting on the standoff bet, but otherwise he is limited to winning the amount that he wagers if he simply bets on the player's hand or dealer's hand (minus 5% commission). In contrast, certain embodiments of the present invention offer the possibility for a player to make side bets and/or progressive jackpot bets whereby he has an opportunity to win many times his original side bet.

Additionally, the present invention does away with the concept of a “commission,” which deters certain players from playing the game. The elimination of the commission should not only attract more players, but it also makes for the calculation of winnings easier and provides for a wider possible range of betting amounts.

As described in the MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS section above, certain embodiments of the present invention have reasonable odds for both the player and the casino or “house.” This is another advantage of the invention because, to be a viable casino game, the gaming method should provide opportunity for a reasonable return for both the house and the player.

It is to be understood that although some advantages of the present invention are described herein, it is not necessary that all the advantageous features and/or all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment of the invention.

Although the present invention has been described above in considerable detail with reference to certain versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the gaming method described above is not limited to being played as a table game. The gaming method may be played as a board game or by using computers or electronic devices having audio and video outputs. Thus, the term “cards” as used in this application refers to traditional cards made of paper stock having traditional game indicia, such as numbers (2-10), suits (diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs), and characters (aces, jacks, queens, and kings). The term “cards” is also used to refer to electronic images of traditional cards. The term “dealer” may be an actual person distributing the cards. It is noted that the dealer may also be a player, and the dealer does not have to be associated with a business entity having a stake in any profits derived from operating the game. The term “dealer” may also be used to refer to a virtual dealer that is programmed through an electronic device or computer.

The invention can be readily implemented in a wide variety of additional forms and media including, but not limited to: single player slot video machines, multi-player slot video machines, electronic games and devices, lottery terminals, scratch-card formats, software, as well as in-flight, home, and Internet entertainment. Furthermore, the invention can be readily implemented in software, which can be stored on a disk (e.g., magnetic disk, compact disc (CD), USB memory stick, etc.) and used with a computer system. In one embodiment, the gaming method of the present invention may be implemented as a computer game that may be executed via disk or downloaded from the Internet and played using a computer, gaming console, or an electronic handheld device (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, etc.). Such embodiments may be played individually or may be played with other players. In another embodiment, the present invention may be played as an interactive online gambling game wherein the player may play against the dealer individually or with other players via the Internet. The dealer may be an actual person or a virtual dealer. Similarly, the other players may be actual people or they may be computer-generated virtual players. In yet other embodiments of the invention, the gaming method may be played against a casino or wagering establishment from a remote location via the Internet or local network using a computer device such as a computer laptop, customized gaming console/machine, or handheld device.

Additionally, some steps of the gaming method described herein may be added, omitted or modified. For instance, various side bets may or may not be used, and additional cards may or may not be dealt. Various numbers of cards may be dealt, and various numbers of those cards dealt face up or face down for the dealer's hand, the player's hand, or the community card hand.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 

1. A method of playing a modified baccarat game, the method comprising: (a) dealing a plurality of cards to each player and to a dealer wherein the plurality of cards is comprised of one face up card and one or more face down cards; (b) dealing at least one community card face up; (c) requiring each player to make a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet, (d) comparing each player's hand with the dealer's hand using a baccarat point system to value cards, wherein each player's hand is comprised of the plurality of cards dealt to him and the at least one community card, and wherein the dealer's hand is comprised of the plurality of cards dealt to the dealer and the at least one community card; and (e) resolving bets.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising requiring each player to place an ante bet before any cards are dealt.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing each player to make an optional side bet.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the optional side bet wins if the plurality of cards and the at least one community card form a winning poker combination.
 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the optional side bet is a progressive jackpot bet.
 6. The method of claim 3 wherein the optional side bet wins if at least one card from the plurality of cards and the at least one community card has a value of at least
 8. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one community card is comprised of a first community card dealt face up and a second community card dealt face down.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the player bet wins if the player's hand is greater than the dealer's hand; the player bet loses if the player's hand is less than the dealer's hand or if the player's hand ties with the dealer's hand at a value of 0, 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the player bet pushes if the player's hand and the dealer's hand tie at a value of 8 or 9; wherein the banker bet wins if the dealer's hand is greater than the player's hand; the banker bet loses if the dealer's hand is less than the player's hand or if the dealer's hand ties with the player's hand at a value of 0, 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the banker bet pushes if the player's hand and the dealer's hand tie at a value of 8 or 9; and wherein the tie bet wins if the player's hand equals the dealer's hand and the tie bet loses if the player's hand does not equal the dealer's hand.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the bets are resolved according to a payout schedule as follows Winning Bet Payment (to 1) Player Bet 1 Banker Bet 1 Tie Bet 6


10. A method of playing a modified baccarat game, the method comprising: (a) requiring each player to place a blind bet before any cards are dealt; (b) dealing a player face up card and a player face down card to each player; (c) dealing a first community card face up and a second community card face down; (d) dealing a banker face up card and a banker face down card; (e) requiring each player to designate their blind bet as a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet; (f) revealing the second community card, the banker face down card, and the player face down card of each player; (g) comparing each player's hand with the banker's hand using a standard baccarat scoring system, wherein each player's hand is comprised of: the player face up card dealt to him, the player face down card dealt to him, the first community card, and the second community card, and wherein the banker's hand is comprised of: the banker face up card, the banker face down card, the first community card, and the second community card; and (h) resolving bets.
 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising allowing each player to make an optional side bet.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the optional side bet wins if either the banker's hand or player's hand has a value of at least
 8. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the optional side bet wins if at least one card from the player face up card, the banker face up card, and the first community card has a value of at least
 8. 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising dealing a third community card, wherein the optional side bet wins if the player face down card, the player face up card, the first community card, the second community card, and the third community card form a winning 5-card poker combination.
 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the optional side bet is a progressive jackpot bet.
 16. The method of claim 10 wherein the player bet wins if the player's hand is greater than the banker's hand; the player bet loses if the player's hand is less than the banker's hand or if the player's hand ties with the banker's hand at a value of 0, 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the player bet pushes if the player's hand and the banker's hand tie at a value of 8 or 9; wherein the banker bet wins if the banker's hand is greater than the player's hand; the banker bet loses if the banker's hand is less than the player's hand or if the banker's hand ties with the player's hand at a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the banker bet pushes if the player's hand and the banker's hand tie at a value of 8 or 9; and wherein the tie bet wins if the player's hand equals the banker's hand and the tie bet loses if the player's hand does not equal the banker's hand.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the bets are resolved according to a payout schedule as follows Winning Bet Payment (to 1) Player Bet 1 Banker Bet 1 Tie Bet 6


18. A method of playing a modified baccarat game, the method comprising: (a) requiring each player to place an ante before any cards are dealt; (b) dealing a first player card face up and a second player card face down to each player; (c) dealing a first community card face up and a second community card face down; (d) dealing a first banker card face up and a second banker card face down; (e) requiring each player to designate their ante as a player bet, a banker bet, or a tie bet; (f) revealing the second community card, the second banker card, and the second player card of each player; (g) forming baccarat hands, wherein each player's hand is comprised of: the first player card dealt to him, the second player card dealt to him, the first community card, and the second community card, and wherein the banker's hand is comprised of: the first banker card, the second banker card, the first community card, and the second community card; (h) comparing each player's hand with the banker's hand using a baccarat scoring method, the baccarat scoring method comprising: adding baccarat values of the first player card, the second player card, the first community card, and the second community card of each player's hand to get a player's total, adding baccarat values of the first banker card, the second banker card, the first community card, and the second community card to get a banker's total; and comparing the ones digit of each player's total with the ones digit of the banker's total; and (i) resolving bets.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the player bet wins and is paid one to one if the player's total is greater than the banker's total; the player bet loses if the player's total is less than the banker's total or if the player's total ties with the banker's total at a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the player bet pushes if the player's total and the banker's total tie at a value of 8 or 9; wherein the banker bet wins and is paid one to one if the banker's total is greater than the player's total; the banker bet loses if the banker's total is less than the player's total or if the banker's total ties with the player's total at a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; and the banker bet pushes if the player's total and the banker's total tie at a value of 8 or 9; and wherein the tie bet wins and is paid six to one if the player's total equals the banker's total, and the tie bet loses if the player's total does not equal the banker's total.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprising allowing each player to make an optional side bet.
 21. The method of claim 20 wherein the optional side bet wins if either the banker's total or player's total has a value of at least
 8. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the optional side bet wins if at least one card from the first player card, the first banker card, and the first community card has a value of at least
 8. 